Containers for egg cartons, or the like



Nov. 30, 1965 K. w. BROMLEY 3,220,603

CONTAINERS FOR EGG CARTONS, OR THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1963 FIGJ 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 KENNETH IM BROMLEY ATTYS.

Nov. 30, 1965- K. w. BROMLEY 3,220,603

CONTAINERS FOR EGG CARTONS, OR THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

I KENNETH W. BROMLEY 6% @3M @74; m @723 ATT/Ys.

Nov. 30, 1965 K. w. BRoMLl-:Y 3,220,603

CONTAINERS FOR EGG CARTONS, OR THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1965 3- Sheets-Sheet 3 IOC KENNETH W BROMLEY @27 @WL my@ m i 71g f ATTYS.

/ Q INVENTOR m M q 9 Q aUnited. States Patent 3,220,603 CONTANERS FR EGG CARTONS, R THE LIKE Kenneth W. Bromley, Hobart, Ind., assignor to General American Transportation Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of New York Fiied June 19, 1963, Ser. No. 289,041 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-83) The present invention relates to containers for egg cartons, or the like; and it is the principal object of the invention to provide such a container that is of one-piece construction formed entirely of an integrally molded single mass of plastic material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character noted that is molded of linear high-density polyethylene.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character noted that is of simple, strong and lightweight construction and that may be completely formed in a single-stage injection molding operation in an economical manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character noted, that comprises a basketlike body having an open top and including improved structure accommodating stacking of a plurality of such containers upon each other and accommodating nesting of a plurality of such containers within each other, whereby a plurality of the lled containers may be shipped in stacked relation from a chicken ranch to a market, and whereby a plurality of the empty containers may be shipped in nested relation from the market back to the chicken ranch, all in an efficient and space-saving manner.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character noted that comprises a basketlike body having an open top and including a substantially rectangular bottom wall and a substantially rectangular rim disposed above the bottom wall and a pair of upwardly directed and outwardly inclined end walls and a pair of upwardly directed and outwardly inclined side walls, the bottoms of the end walls being respectively joined to the ends of the bottom wall and the bottoms of the side walls being respectivley joined to the sides of the bottom wall, the rim surrounding the open top of the body and including a pair of end members and a pair of side members, the tops of the end Walls being respectively joined to the rim end members and the tops of the side walls being respectively joined to the rim side members, and a pair of elongated end supports respectively hingedly connected to the rim end members and selectively independently movable with respect thereto between stacking and nesting positions, each of the end supports in its stacking position projecting inwardly and over the adjacent end portion of the open top of the body and each of the end supports in its nesting position projecting outwardly and from over the adjacent end portion of the open top of the body, the opposite end portions of each one of the end supports respectively engaging the adjacent top end portions of the rim side members when the one end support occupies its stacking position, whereby a lower such container is adapted to support an upper such container in stacked relation thereon when the end supports of the lower container occupy their stacking positions and are thus arranged in interfering and supporting relation with the opposite end portions of the bottom wall of the upper container, and whereby a lower such container is adapted to support in nested relation therein an upper such container when the end supports of the lower container occupy their nesting positions and are thus arranged in non-interfering and non-supporting relation with the bottom wall of the upper container.

as a one-piece construction.

3,220,603 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 Further features of the invention pertain to the particular construction and arrangement of the elements of the container, whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of the container embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the container:

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the container, this view being taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 3 3 in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the container, this view being taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, of the top of the container, and illustrating in solid lines the support in its nesting position and illustrating in dotted lines support in its stacking position;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the top of the container, this view being taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 6-6 in FIG. 2, and illustrating the support in its stacking position and showing the cooperation of one end thereof with the adjacent portion of the rim of the container;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a lower container and a fragmentary side view of an upper container arranged in stacked relation; and

FIG. 8 is a side view of a lower container and an end view of an upper container arranged in nested relation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings, the container 10 there illustrated, and embodying the features of the present invention, is especially adapted to contain one-half crate of eggs, whereby the container 10 is particularly adapted for use to market eggs from a chicken ranch. Speciiically, the container 10 is dimensioned to receive a stack of fifteen egg cartons arranged in five vertically disposed layers of three egg cartons per layer with each egg carton adapted to contain one dozen individual eggs. The container 10 comprises a one-piece construction formed entirely of an integrally molded mass of plastic material; and specifically, the container 10 is so constructed and arranged that it may be readily molded in a single-stage injection molding machine in an economical manner. The plastic material mentioned is ordinarily of the thermoplastic type and is usually selected from the group of synthetic organic resins including high-impact polystyrene, polypropylene, branched low-density polyethylene, linear high-density polyethylene, etc., but preferably, the resin comprises linear high-density polyethylene.

At this point, it is noted that linear high-density polyethylene is altogether different from branched lowdensity polyethylene, both as to structure and to physical properties. The linear high-density product may be produced by the Ziegler low-pressure polymerization process and is characterized by a specific gravity in the range 0.941 to 0.965, products having a lower specific gravity (0.926 to 0.940) being referred to as medium-density polyethylene, and products having a still lower specific gravity (0.910 to 0.925) being referred to as low-density polyethylene. Linear high-density polyethylene possesses physical properties that are ideally suitable to utilization as the plastic material of which the container 10 of the present invention is molded in its entirety and Specifically, linear highdensity polyethylene comprises an excellent injection ice molding material, has a very low mold' shrinkage characteristic (0.02 to 0.05 in. per in.), has a high tensile strength (3,100 to 5,500 p.s.i.), has a high compressive strength (2,400 p.s.i.), has a high impact strength (1.5 to to 12.0 ft.lb. per in. of notch-l in. X 1/2 in. notched bar, Izod test), substantial hardness (D60 to D70- Shore-Rockwell), a high resistance to heat (250 F.-continuous), a high heat distortion temperature (140 to 180 F.-66 p.s.i.), has a very low water absorption characteristic (0.01% per 24 hr. in 1/3 in. thickness specimens), has a very slow burning rate, has an exceedingly high resistance to sunlight, and is very resistant to Weak alkalies, strong alkalies, weak acids, strong acids and organic solvents.

More particularly, the container comprises a basketlike body 11 having an open top and including a substantially square bottom wall 12 of sheet-like form and a substantially square girdle 13 disposed above the bottom wall 12 and a substantially square rim 14 disposed above the girdle 13 and two ribbon-like corner strips 15 and two groups of ribbon-like end strips 16 and 17 and two groups of ribbon-like side strips 18 and 19. The girdle 13 surrounds the intermediate portion of the body 11 well above the bottom wall 12 and substantially below the rim 14 and includes a pair of ribbon-like end elements 13a and a pair of ribbon-like side elements 13b, with the adjacent ends of the elements 13a and 13b joined together by rounded ribbon-like corner elements 13C. The rim 14 surrounds the open top of the body 11 and includes a pair of ribbon-like end members 14a and a pair of ribbon-like side members 14b with the adjacent ends ofthe members 14a and 14b joined together by rounded ribbon-like corner members 14C.

The two corner strips 15 are upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and are respectively arranged at a rst two diagonally related corners of the body 11, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. The lower ends of the two corner strips 15 are respectively joined to the two adjacent corners of the bottom wall 12; the intermediate portions of the two corner strips 15 are respectively joined to the adjacent ends of the girdle end elements 13a and to the adjacent ends of the girdle side elements 13b; and the upper ends of the two corner rstrips 15 are respectively joined to the adjacent ends of the rim end members 14a and to the adjacent ends of the rim side members 14b.

The end strips 16 are disposed at the left-hand end of the bottom wall 12; the end strips 17 are disposed at the right-hand end of the bottom Wall 12; the side strips 18 are disposed at the front side of the bottom wall 12; and the side strips 19 are disposed at the rear side of the bottom wall 12; all as viewed in FIG. 3. The end strips 16 in one of the groups comprise three in number and are upwardly directed and outwardly inclined from the left-hand end of the bottom wall 12 and are arranged in laterally spaced-apart relation with each other and with the adjacent one of the corner strips 15; the end strips 17 in the other of the groups comprise three in number and are upwardly directed and outwardly inclined from the right-hand end of the bottom wall 12 and are arranged in laterally spaced-apart relation with each other and with the adjacent one of the corner strips 15; the side strips 18 in one of the groups comprise three in number and are upwardly directed and outwardly inclined from the front side of the bottom wall 12 and are arranged in longitudinally spaced-apart relation with respect to each other and with the adjacent one of the corner strips 15; and the side strips 19 in the other of the groups comprises three in number and are upwardly directed and outwardly inclined from the rear side of the bottom ywall 12 and are arranged in longitudinally spaced-apart relation with respect to each other and with the adjacent one of the corner strips 15. The lower ends of the end strips 16 and 17 in the two groups are respectively joined to the adjacent ends of the bottom wall 12; the intermediate portions of the end strips 16 and 17 in .4 the two groups are respectively joined to the adjacent ones of the girdle end elements 13a; and the upper ends of the end strips 16 and 17 in the two groups are respectively joined to the adjacent ones of the rim end members 14a. The lower ends of the side strips 18 and 19 in the two groups are respectively joined to the adjacent sides of the bottom wall 12; the intermediate portions of the side strips 18 and 19 in the two groups are respectively joined to the adjacent ones of the girdle side elements 13b; and the upper ends of the side strips 18 and 19 in the two groups are respectively joined to the adjacent ones of the rim side members 14b.

The end strips 16 and the adjacent lateral llange of the associated corner strip 15 constitute one end wall; and the end strips 17 and the adjacent lateral flange of the associated corner strip V15 constitute another end wall. The side strips 18 and the adjacent longitudinal flange of the associated corner strip 15 constitute one side wall; and the side strips 19 and the adjacent longitudinal flange of the associated corner strip 15 constitute another side wall. Thus, one of the corner strips 15 is disposed at the corner junction between the one end wall and the one side wall, an upwardly directed and outwardly inclined slot 20 is disposed at the corner between the one side wall and the other end wall, the other of the corner strips 15 is disposed at the corner junction between the other end wall and the other side wall, and an upwardly directed and outwardly inclined slot 20 is disposed at the corner between the other side wall and the one end wall; all as shown in FIG. 3.

The lateral width of the end strips 16 is less than the lateral `spacings therebetween; the lateral width of the end strips 17 is less than the later-al spacings therebetween; and the end strips 16 are arranged in staggered relation with the end strips 17 longitudinally through the body 11; all as shown in FIG. 3. The longitudinal width of the side strips 18 is less than the longitudinal spacings therebetween; the longitudinal width of the side strips 20 is less than the longitudinal spacings therebetween; and the side strips 18 are arranged in staggered relation with the side strips 19 laterally through the body 11; all as shown in FIG. 3.

The bottom wall 12 is substantially horizontally disposed; the girdle 13 is substantially horizontally disposed and presents an outwardly positioned shoulder with respect to the bottom wall 12 that is downwardly directed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4; and the rim 14 is substantially horizontally disposed and presents an outwardly positioned shoulder with respect to the girdle 13 that is downwardly directed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Also, the bottom wall 12 carries three laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart ridges 12a, 12b and 12e of elongated form and upwardly directed from the upper surface thereof. The end ridges 12a are substantially identical; while the center ridge 12b is somewhat wider and somewhat higher than the end ridges 12a; which ridges 12a, 12b and 12C aie employed for a purpose more fully explained hereina ter.

Further, the container 10 comprises a pair of elongated end supports 30 respectively connected by hinge parts, indicated at 31, to the rim end members 14a. The end supports 30 are independently movable with respect to the rim end members 14a; and each end support 30 is selectively movable between a stacking position, yshown in dotted lines in FIG. 5, and a resting position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 5. Each end support 30 in its stacking position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, projects inwardly and over the adjacent end portion of the open top of the body 11; and each end support 30 in its resting position, as shown in FIG. 5, projects outwardly and from over the adjacent end portion of the open top of the body 11. Also, the opposite end portions of each end support 30 carries a pair of hook-like structures 30a that respectively engage and hook-over the adjacent top end portions of the rim side members 14b, when the end support 30 occupies it-s stacking position, as -best shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 7, two of the containers A and 10B of the construction described above are illustrated in stacked relation, the lower container 10A supporting the upper container 10B. In this arrangement, the end supports 30 of the lower container 10A occupy their stacking positions, and are thus arranged in interfering and supporting relation with the opposite end portions of the bottom wall 12 of the upper container 10B. As indicated in FIG. 6, the upper supporting surfaces of the end supports 30 are positioned below the rim 14 of the lower container 10A, so that the bottom wall 12 of the upper container 10B is surrounded by the rim 14 of the lower container 10A, thereby to prevent accidental -displacement of the upper container 10B from the lower container 10A in the event the upper container 10B is unintentionally struck or bumped. Also, this arrangement illustrates that the containers 10A and 16B are normally filled with the egg cartons, indicated at 50, when the containers 10A and 10B are in stacked relation. Further, the egg carton-s 50 are arranged in a stack of five layers in each container 10A and 10B, with each layer including three individual egg cartons 50. In each container 10A and 10B, the three ridges 12a, 12b and 12e carried by the bottom wall 12 thereof project upwardly into three elongated cracks or grooves 51 respectively provided in the bottom walls of the three individual egg cartons 50 directly supported by the bottom wall 12 thereof, so as to prevent undesirable longitudinal shifting of the three egg cartons 50 mentioned upon the bottom Wall 12 thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 8, two of the containers 16C and 10D of the construction described above are illustrated in nested relation, the lower container 10C receiving and Isupporting the upper container 10D therein. In this arrangement, the end supports 3) of the lower container 10C occupy their nesting positions, and are thus arranged in non-interfering and non-supporting relation with the bottom wall 12 of the upper container 10D. In order to improve nesting of the containers 10C and 10D, the upper container 16D is rotated 90 with respect to the lower container 10C before the bottom wall 12 of the upper container 10D is inserted into the open top of the lower container 10C. This causes the two corner strips of the body 11 of the upper container 10D to be disposed adjacent to the two corner slots 2d provided in the body 11 of the lower container 10C. Assuming that the upper container 10D is rotated 90 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, the strips 16, 19, 17 and 18 of the upper container 10D are respectively disposed adjacent to and in staggered relation with the strips 19, 17, 1S and 16 of the lower container 16C. Also, as illustrated, the rim 14 of the upper container 141D is positioned above the rim 14 of the lower container 10C, the girdle 13 of the upper container 10D is positioned in engagement with the rim 14 of the lower container 10C, and the `bottom wall 12 of the upper container 10D is positioned above the bottom wall 12 of the lower container 10C.

The arrangements of FIGS. 7 and 8 are very advantageous, since the containers in filled condition may be readily shipped from the chicken ranch to the market in stacked relation, as lshown in FIG. 7, and since the containers in empty condition may be readily shipped or returned from the market back to the chicken ranch for re-use; all in a convenient and eicient manner, with substantial economies in the shipping costs.

In a constructional example of the container 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive: the longitudinal distance between the inner surfaces of the end strips 16 and 17 at the bottom wall 12 may be 9%"g the lateral distance between the inner surfaces of the side strips 18 and 19 at the bottom wall 12 may be 93/8"; the vertical distance between the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 and 6 the top of the rim 14 may be 14"; and the vertical distance between the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 and the bottom of the girdle 13 may be 91/2. One of the corner strips 15 may have a longitudinal ange of 1", the longitudinal spacings between side :strips `18 may be 1% and each side strip 18 may have a longitudinal width of 11/2"; and the one corner strip 15 may have a lateral ange of 1", the lateral spacings between the end strips 16 may be 1% and each strip 16 may have a lateral width of 11/2. The other corner strip 15 is identical to the one corner strip 15 described, the side Strips 19 and the end strips 17 are identical to the respective side strips 18 and end strips 16 and are identically arranged symmetrically with respect to the other corner strip 15 in the manner described above. The girdle 13 has a width or height of 1/2, and the rim 14 has a width or height of 1/2". The upward inclination of the strips 16, 17, 18 and 19 causes the girdle 13 to have inside dimensions of approximately 1211/16 x 121%6. The thickness of the sheet-like bottom wall 12 and of the strips 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 and of the girdle elements 13a and 13b and of the rim members 14a and 1417 and of the end supports 30 may be 125 mils; while the thickness of the hinge parts 31 may be only 15 mils, so as to insure ready hinging thereof with respect to the respectively adjacent rim end members 14a. In general, the other dimensions of the container 10 are related to those noted in accordance with the scales of the drawings.

Of course, it will be appreciated that the container v10 is of general utility as a basket; however, the container 10 of the dimensions set forth is of special utility as a container for fifteen egg cartons, as previously explained. Accordingly, the thickness of the part-s and the dimensions thereof may `be approximately varied in order to produce a great variety of containers or baskets embodying the present invention.

As previously noted, the container 10 may be readily molded in a single-stage injection molding machine of conventional construction and in accordance with known methods, thereby to insure a low cost of the container 10.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a container of improved and simplified construction and arrangement and that is economical to manufacture.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for egg cartons, or the like, comprising a one-piece construction formed entirely of an integrally molded single mass of plastic material; said container comprising a basket-like body having an open top and including a substantially rectagular bottom Wall and a substantially rectangular girdle disposed above said bottom wall and a substantially rectangular rim disposed above said girdle and a pair of upwardly directed and out wardly inclined and opposed end walls and a pair of upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and opposed side walls, said girdle surrounding the intermediate portion of said body and including a pair of end elements and a pair of side elements, said rim surrounding the open top of said body and including a pair of end members and a pair of side members, the bottoms of said end walls being respectively joined to the ends of said bottom wall and the intermediate portions of said end walls being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said girdle end elements and the tops of said end walls being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said rim end members, the bottom of said side walls being respectively joined to the sides of said bottom wall and the intermediate portions of said side walls being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said girdle side members and the tops of said side walls being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said rim side members, a pair of elongated end supports, and a a pair of hinge parts respectively hingedly connecting said end supports to said rim end members, said hinge parts accommodating selective independent movements of said end supports with respect to said rim end members between stacking and nesting positions, each of said end supports in its stacking position projecting inwardly and over the adjacent end portion of the open top of said body and each of said end supports in its nesting position projecting outwardly and from over the adjacent end portion of the open top of said body, the opposite end portions of each one of said end supports respectively engaging the adjacent top end portions of said rim side members when said one end support occupies its stacking position, whereby a lower such container is adapted to support an upper such container in stacked relation thereon when the end supports of the lower container occupy their stacking positions and are thus arranged in interfering and supporting relation with the opposite end portions of the bottom wall of the upper container, and whereby a lower such container is adapted to support in nested relation therein an upper such container with the girdle of the upper container in engagement with the rim of the lower container when the end supports of the lower container occupy their nesting positions and are thus arranged in non-interfering and non-supporting relation with the bottom wall of the upper container.

2. The container set forth in claim 1, wherein the plastic material of which it is molded consists essentially of linear high-density polyethylene.

3. The container set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said end walls consists essentially of a plurality of upwardly directed and outwardly inclined ribbon-like first strips arranged in laterally spaced-apart relation, and each of said sidewalls consists essentially of a plurality of upwardly directed and outwardly inclined ribbon-like second strips arranged in longitudinally spaced-apart relation.

4. The container set forth in claim 1, wherein said bottom wall is of sheet-like form and carries a plurality of laterally extending and longitudinally spaced-apart upstanding ridges each of elongated form, said ridges being adapted respectively to project upwardly into a corresponding plurality of elongated cracks respectively provided in the bottoms of a corresponding plurality of egg cartons directly supported by said bottom wall so as to prevent undesirable longitudinal shifting of the supported egg cartons in said container.

5. A container for egg cartons, or the like, comprising a one-piece construction formed entirely of an integrally molded single mass of plastic material; said container comprising a basket-like body having an open top and including a substantially rectangular bottom wall of sheet-like form and a substantially rectangular girdle disposed above said bottom wall and a substantially rectangular rim disposed above said girdle and two opposed groups of ribbonlike end strips and two opposed groups of ribbon-like side strips, said girdle surrounding the intermediate portion of said body and including a pair of end elements and a pair of side elements, said rim surrounding the open top of said body and including a pair of end members and a pair of side members, said end strips in each of said groups being upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and arranged in laterally spaced-apart relation, said side strips in each of said groups being upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and arranged in longitudinally spacedapart relation, the lower ends of said end strips in each of said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ends of said bottom Awall and the intermediate portions of said end strips in each of said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said girdle end elements and the upper ends of said end strips in each of said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said rim end members, the lower ends of said side strips in each of said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent sides of said bottom wall and the intermediate portions of said side strips in each of said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said girdle side elements and the upper ends of said side strips in each of said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said rim side members, a pair of elongated end supports, and a pair of hinge parts respectively hingedly connecting said end supports to said rim end members, said hinge parts accommodating selective independent movements of said end supports with respect to said rim end members between stacking and nesting positions, each of said end supports in its stacking position projecting inwardly and over the adjacent end portion of the open top of said body and each of said end supports in its nesting position projecting outwardly and from over the adjacent end portion of the open top of said body, the opposite end portions of each one of said end supports respectively engaging the adjacent top end portions of said rim side members when said one end support occupies its stacking position, whereby a lower such container is adapted to support an upper such container in stacked relation thereon when the end supports of the lower container occupy their stacking positions and are thus arranged in interfering and supporting relation with the opposite end portions of the bottom wall of the upper container, and whereby a lower such container is adapted to support in nested relation therein an upper such container with the girdle of the upper container in engagement with the rim of the lower container when the end supports of the lower container occupy their nesting positions and are thus arranged in non-interfering and nonsupporting relation with the bottom wall of the upper container.

6. A container for egg cartons, or the like, comprising a one-piece construction formed entirely of an integrally molded single mass of plastic material; said container comprising a basket-like body having an open top and including a substantially square bottom wall of sheet-like form and a substantially square girdle disposed above said bottom wall and a substantially square rim disposed above said girdle and two ribbon-like corner strips and two opposed groups of ribbon-like end strips and two opposed groups of ribbon-like side strips, said girdle surrounding the intermediate portion of said body and including a pair of end elements and a pair of side elements, said rim surrounding the open top of said body and including a pair of end members and a pair of side members, said two corner strips being upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and respectively arranged at a rst two diagonally related corners of said body, the lower ends of said two corner strips being respectively joined to the two adjacent corners of said bottom wall and the intermediate portions of said two corner strips being respectively joined to the adjacent junctions between the ends of said girdle end elements and the ends of said girdle side elements and the upper ends of said two corner strips being respectively joined to the adjacent junctions between the ends of said rim end members and the ends of said rim side members, said end strips in each of said groups being upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and arranged in laterally spaced-apart relation with each other and with the adjacent one of said corner strips, said side strips in each of said groups being upwardly directed and outwardly inclined and arranged in longitudinally spacedapart relation with each other and with the adjacent one of said corner strips, the lower ends of said end strips in said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ends of said bottom wall and the intermediate portions of said end strips in said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said girdle end elements and the upper ends of said end strips in said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said rim end members, the lower ends of said side strips in said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent sides of said bottom wall and the intermediate portions of said side strips in said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said girdle side elements and the upper ends of said side strips in said groups being respectively joined to the adjacent ones of said rim side members, whereby two upwardly directed and outwardly inclined corner slots are respectively arranged at a second two diagonally related corners of said body, a pair of elongated end supports, and a pair of hinge parts respectively hingedly connecting said end supports to said rim end members, said hinge parts accommodating selective independent movements of said end supports with respect to said rim end members between stacking and nesting positions, each of said end supports in its stacking position projecting inwardly and over the adjacent end portion of the open top of said body and each of said end supports in its nesting position projecting outwardly and :from over the adjacent end portion of the open top of said body, the opposite end portions of each one of said end supports respectively engaging the adjacent top end portions of said rim side members when said one end support occupies its stacking position, whereby a lower such container is adapted to support an upper such container in stacked relation thereon when the end supports of the lower container occupy their stacking positions and are thus arranged in interfering and supporting relation with the opposite end portions of the bottom wall of the upper container, and whereby a lower such container is adapted to support in nested relation therein an upper such container with the upper container rotated 90 with respect to the lower container so that the corner strips of the upper container are positioned at the corner slots in the lower container and with the girdle of the upper container in engagement with the rim of the lower container when the end supports of the lower container occupy their nesting positions and are thus arranged in noninterfering and non-supporting relation with the bottom wall of the upper container.

7. The container set forth in claim 6, wherein said end strips in said two groups are arranged in staggered relation with respect to each other longitudinally through said body, and said side strips in said two groups are arranged in staggered relation with respect to each other laterally through said body, whereby the end strips and the side strips of an upper such container are staggered respectively between the side strips and the end strips of a lower such container when the lower container supports the upper container in nested relation therein with the upper container rotated 90 with respect to the lower container. 8. The container set forth in claim 6, wherein the lateral width of each of said end strips in each of said groups is less than the lateral spacing between adjacent ones of said end strips in each of said groups, said end strips in said two groups are arranged in staggered relation with respect to each other longitudinally through said body, the longitudinal width of each of said side strips in each of said groups is less than the longitudinal spacing between adjacent ones of said side strips in each of said groups, and said side strips in said two groups are arranged in staggered relation with respect to each other laterally through said body, whereby the end strips and the side strips of an upper such container are staggered respectively between the side strips and the end strips of a lower such container when the lower container supports the upper container in nested relation therein with the upper container rotated 90 with respect to the lower container.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,175,390 10/ 1939 Harrison 220--97 2,515,113 7/1950 Chaplin.

2,556,590 6/1951 long 220--83 2,649,991 8/ 1953 Woock 220-83 X 2,739,753 3/ 1956 Wolf 229-42 2,765,099 10/ 1956 Lively 220-97 2,879,917 3/ 1959 Flack 220-97 3,100,056 8/ 1963 Friday 220-31 X FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER FOR EGG CARTONS, OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE CONSTRUCTION FORMED ENTIRELY OF AN INTEGRALLY MOLDED SINGLE MASS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL; SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING A BASKET-LIKE BODY HAVING AN OPEN TOP AND INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BOTTOM WALL AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR GIRDLE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID BOTTOM WALL AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR RIM DISPOSED ABOVE SAID GIRDLE AND A PAIR OF UPWARDLY DIRECTED AND OUT WARDLY INCLINED AND OPPOSED END WALLS AND A PAIR OF UPWARDLY DIRECTED AND OUTWARDLY INCLINED AND OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, SAID GIRDLE SURROUNDING THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID BODY AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF END ELEMENTS AND A PAIR OF SAID ELEMENTS, SAID RIM SURROUNDING THE OPEN TOP OF SAID BODY AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF END MEMBERS AND A PAIR OF SIDE MEMBERS, THE BOTTOMS OF SAID END WALLS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO THE ENDS OF SAID BOTTOM WALL AND THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID END WALLS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO THE ADJACENT ONES OF SAID GIRDLE END ELEMENTS AND THE TOPS OF SAID END WALLS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO THE ADJACENT ONES OF SAID RIM END MEMBERS, THE BOTTOM OF SAID SIDE WALLS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO THE SIDES OF SAID BOTTOM WALL AND THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE WALLS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO THE ADJACENT ONES OF SAID GIRDLE SIDE MEMBERS AND THE TOPS OF SAID WALLS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO THE ADJACENT ONES OF SAID RIM SIDE MEMBERS, A PAIR OF ELONGATED END SUPPORTS, AND A A PAIR OF HINGE PARTS RESPECTIVELY HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID END SUPPORTS TO SAID RIM END MEMBERS, SAID HINGE PARTS ACCOMMODATING SELECTIVE INDEPENDENT MOVEMENTS OF SAID END SUPPORTS WITH RESPECT TO SAID RIM END MEMBERS BETWEEN STACKING AND NESTING POSITIONS, EACH OF SAID END SUPPORTS IN ITS STACKING POSITION PROJECTING INWARDLY AND OVER THE ADJACENT END PORTION OF THE OPEN TOP OF SAID BODY AND EACH OF SAID END SUPPORTS IN ITS NESTING POSITION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY AND FROM OVER THE ADJACENT END PORTION OF THE OPEN TOP OF SAID BODY, THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF EACH ONE OF SAID END SUPPORTS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING THE ADJACENT TOP END PORTIONS OF SAID RIM SIDE MEMBERS WHEN SAID ONE END SUPPORT OCCUPIES ITS STACKINUG POSITION, WHEREBY A LOWER SUCH CONTAINER IS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AN UPPER SUCH CONTAINER IN STACKED RELATION THEREON WHEN THE END SUPPORTS OF THE LOWER CONTAINER OCCUPY THEIR STACKING POSITIONS AND ARE THUS ARRANGED IN INTERFERING AND SUPPORTING RELATION WITH THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE UPPER CONTAINER, AND WHEREBY A LOWER SUCH CONTAINER IS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT IN NESTED RELATION THEREIN AN UPPER SUCH CONTAINER WITH THE GIRDLE OF THE UPPER CONTAINER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RIM OF THE LOWER CONTAINER WHEN THE END SUPPORTS OF THE LOWER CONTAINER OCCUPY THEIR NESTING POSITIONS AND ARE THUS ARRANGED IN NON-INTERFERING AND NON-SUPPORTING RELATION WITH THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE UPPER CONTAINER. 